In yet another deplorable act, Israeli soldiers shot dead a 15-year-old Palestinian boy during an overnight raid at the occupied West Bank.

Fifteen-year-old Arkan Thaer Mezeher was shot in the chest in Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, while 11 others were taken into custody, according to Palestinian sources.

According to the WAFA news agency, Israeli soldiers stormed in the camps at night and fired live ammunition. They also used tear gas and stun grenades.

During the raid, two other young men were reportedly arrested while two more were wounded.

The Beit Jala Hospital confirmed the arrival and treatment of two young Palestinian men who were wounded by live ammunition in their foot. The patients are said to be stable.

The Israeli jails hold up to 6,500 Palestinians. Among those, 500 prisoners have been detained without any charges — a practice that is often protested by prisoners and allows Israeli forces to hold Palestinians for six months and renew the sentence if they wish so.

The raid that took Arkan’s life was carried out on the West Bank, which is said to be under total Palestinian control; however, many a times they are subjected to Israeli forces’ raids on the basis of “suspicion.”

Similarly, for this raid, Israeli forces cited “terror activity” as the reason.

"During the operation, a violent riot was instigated in which Palestinians hurled rocks and threw firebombs and grenades at [Israeli] soldiers," the army said in a statement.

Such operations usually end in fatalities; however, Israeli forces justify their brutal actions by calling the practice necessary to round up suspects.

Israeli forces have so far killed at least 30 Palestinian children in 2018 in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, according to Defense for Children International – Palestine. The number is already much higher than in 2017, where 15 children were killed.